Obscured
by iDrinkLatte
Summary: ienobu didn't believe in second chances, not until now. was this a gift, a curse, or a trap? either way, he had a brother now, a mother and father, a chance to restart and cherish them. they would be protected even if he had to hide his real self from everyone else, maybe the world itself.
1. target one

1\. It's been a year or so since I've written for the fandom, just got back in.2. Updates will be slow, I can't promise stable updates but I'll try to update at least once a week.3. The fic will follow both versions, the manga, and the anime. I think it'll be interesting for the mc who will be trying to figure out what's going on.4. There won't be any hetero or homo romance with the mc.5. I removed the gender bender tag because (i didn't know I published this earlier) I rewrote the chapter6. I like the style of not capitalising, its interesting, sorry if it annoys you.7. Feedback and any comments, even keyboard smashing are welcome. I do them all the time ;P8. Enjoy my attempt lol9. luv you guys lots x

* * *

the world dimmed, but it was still beautiful in ienobu's eyes as he leaned against the cold brick wall. dark spots dotted his vision as he struggled to keep his chocolate brown eyes open. the ivory clouds were blurry and the ebony night sky was fuzzy. the little specks of white sprinkled with the luminescent moon tamed the disharmony in his throbbing heart. ienobu craved the freedom of the moon as it shone the brightest during the night while his eyes were fixed on the body of white. the tang of iron smothered ienobu's tastebuds, again, as he swallowed the rebellious mouthful of blood climbing up his throat, into his mouth and seething to drip past his lips. ienobu's eyelids drooped downwards. they were heavy, demanding and defiant. he didn't want to shut his eyes for the dark. there was no moon, stars, light in the darkness of death. ienobu sucked in a sharp breath of air when shifted his torso slightly; the broken end of the violin bow was still lodged in his abdomen, slotting his intestines, and rendered his body below the wound paralyzed; it was sitting in his body as if he was a pedestal for a sword.

releasing a strangled sob, ienobu shut his eyes, hiding his eyes from the prying world, his mind blared with vivid memories of his youth and the best choice he took in his life. as warm tears streaked down his face, mixing with his blood as they dribbled down his neck, his mind fixed on the first violin he touched his hands upon at the age of three. the gush of excitement when his fingertips first brushed against the fingerboard made of ebony. the raw emotion he felt kindled his passion for the instrument and it led him to countless joyous moments such as the bright smiles of his grief-stricken mother when he played for her. ienobu didn't know what to think of it anymore, the violin. it was the start of his life, the small spark blossomed into the beautiful raging blaze that consumed him, leaving nothing behind.

ienobu tilted his head towards the sky and perked his ears, listening to the rustle of leaves and whistle of the wind as his fingers grasped the blades of dewy grass underneath him while weakness crept up and gnawed him, succumbing to death's mischief.

he died. he was dead. so why did he now feel small, warm, and alive? ienobu took a long minute breathing as he felt everything around him unable to understand why he was alive.

he could feel his legs, something current technology couldn't do yet, and his arms, bend his knees and curl his toes. what struck ienobu the most was how he felt like a baby. he was a baby.

why was he a baby? how did he become a baby? where was he as a baby?

ienobu turned his head around didn't know if he could explain the feeling throbbing inside him when his eyes locked with the soft, gold amber eyes of the baby laid next to him. it was warm, he felt snug, secure and content. at once he knew this baby was his home, he would be accepted no matter what by the baby. the sensation overwhelmed tsune as he shifted closer to the baby, noting the baby's spiky brown hair and how their eyes seemed to see right through him.

the baby moved closer as well, and ienobu placed his forehead against their's and the urge to sleep washed over him. a yawn left his lips while he shut his eyes and snuggled closer, falling asleep.

ienobu didn't dream anything sad, painful or bad. they were all good memories of his past life. he didn't see any red, any blood or a violin much so less anything that was linked to his death. ienobu didn't relive the torture of dying slowly, and the petrifying realisation he couldn't move his lower body.

"ienobu."

he heard a voice, soft and gentle; it roused him from his sleep and the soft hands that carried him, he didn't want them to leave even though it pulled it away from the other baby. tsune snuggled closer into the arms, hearing a soft hum and the heartbeat he heard. it soothed him, though it was less potent than the baby, it still helped.

"ie-kun?" he heard the voice again, maybe the voice belonged to his mother? he had a new mother.

ienobu opened his eyes, slowly lifting his head upwards and a smile involuntarily blossomed on his face when he saw how happy his mother was. her brown eyes were swimming with a maternal love while her long brown hair tickled his face.

"so cute!" she cooed and ienobu felt her sit down and hold his hand as she pulled back the escaped lock of hair behind her ear.

his hands were so small, ienobu looked at his fingers and wrapped them around his mother's finger. he squealed when she smiled in response, swinging his hands and ienobu felt tired again.

"oh my, sleepy already?" his mother combed her hand through his hair, "you're always hungry at this time."

"be careful not to wake up your older brother, okay, ie-kun?"

ienobu yawned again, barely able to salvage that the baby next to him was his older brother. they were twins? maybe that was why he felt so connected to his brother. they were siblings, twins.

ienobu kept his eyes open as the brunette placed him next to his brother with his back facing his head. tsune didn't like and moved onto his other side with the help of his mother.

"you and tsuna-kun really are inseparable."

ienobu held onto the name as he drifted asleep while his mother left the room in a hurry, vaguely mumbling something about a camera.

he didn't know how long he slept for but it was noisy, too noisy. ienobu didn't like the noise and heard a cry pierce his ears next to him. whoever made the noise made tsuna cry. ienobu snapped his eyes open and struggled to suppress the instinct to cry but he followed soon after.

he felt the floor shake with loud footsteps and through his blurry eyes, he saw a man run up to them worrying over how to hush them. the man had short blonde hair and soft golden amber eyes like tsuna, he looked european, perhaps italian. was he their father?

"uh, what if they're hungry? nana isn't here right now..." ienobu watched him panic and carefully pick them up. he had the same feeling as tsuna, but less strong, and although how his method to calm them down didn't work, ienobu noticed how the snug feeling rendered them sleepy.

"my little boys are tired, are they? papa's sorry for waking you up."

ienobu didn't want to sleep, he was hungry and he knew his belly was about to growl. he managed to suppress it by shuffling closer to tsuna when the man placed them down to the extent it seemed like they wanted to become one baby.

ienobu felt the man kiss his cheeks and groaned when he started cooing at how close they were. he didn't know how his mother, now known as nana, and his father got together. at least he was in a happy family, and again like before, ienobu didn't have any bad dreams. he wondered if this was something he would get addicted to because, to be honest, he was scared of the dreams he would have if he left tsuna's side.

"wait, nana told me to take pictures whenever they slept," the man spoke to himself and came back tiptoe-ing with the goofy smile on his face.

-/-

ienobu thrummed as his hands weaved through tsuna's spiky brown hair rested on his lap, the opposite of his blonde hair, as the older twin slept. his fingers meticulously braided a section of tsuna's hair behind his ear while he snuck glances at nana who was busy cooking.

the long blades of grass tickled his ankles and ienobu exhaled softly at the cosy sunlight which warmed his body. ienobu narrowed his gold amber eyes and his eyes flitted back to nana when he realised he finished braiding tsuna's hair. by the time finished tying the end carefully as he could, ienobu heard a few knocks ringing from the door and nana rushing to open the door.

"tsuna-nii, wake up," ienobu whispered gently, bending over tsuna as he roused awake when they heard nana's ecstatic squeal.

"i think papa's back," he added as a delight crossed his face, "whoever gets inside first gets to jump dad first."

"on it!" tsuna sprung up, using ienobu for support before pulling the boy up and darted forward.

"papa!" ienobu and tsuna locked out for a split second promptly jumping on the tall, muscular man together.

"my little boys are strong! you almost pushed papa over," iemitsu laughed boisterously pushing the twins up and placed them on his shoulders.

"almost?" ienobu murmured.

"we'll get it next time." tsuna beamed at ienobu and noticed the aged man behind iemitsu.

"papa, why does he dress better than you?" ienobu scowled, wondering why the old man seemed familiar, he had seen the other before and known him as well. maybe when he was younger in his past life.

"why can't you be nice and gentle like your older brother? it hurt." iemitsu pouted to which ienobu gently hit iemitsu's head with his fist.

"because i'm not him and it's true, right, tsuna-nii?" he turned to tsuna who nodded vigorously.

"ie's right papa."

"see!" ienobu's eyes twinkled and involuntarily met the old man's gaze and was struck with a revelation.

it's him... from that anime about- i'm in an anime? wait, what if i'm in the manga? no, i should be in the manga, tsuna-nii has gold amber eyes. he had brown eyes in the anime. he's vongola nono?

ienobu shifted his gaze away from vongola nono and climbed down iemitsu, walking to the old man and spotted the suitcase he was carrying.

without speaking a word, ienobu clutched the handle and managed to get past iemitsu where the said man stopped him.

"eh?" ienobu lifted his head when he felt two strong arms lift him and found himself back on iemitsu's shoulder. then he noticed nana iemitsu and nana watching him with an affectionate smile.

"this is my boss-"

"you'll let papa come over more often, right?" tsuna and ienobu chorused, pausing when vongola nono only smiled.

"of course, he talks about you wonderful boys all the time."

"you mean talks talks or just blabbers on while sticking our pictures in everyone's faces?" ienobu questioned.

"wait, they're the same thing, right?" he turned to tsuna, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"i think so." tsuna's eyebrows were also furrowed in thought, "i mean, the aunties like it when mama shows them our pictures."

"such intelligent children you have, iemitsu." vongola nono smiled, "you can call me grandpa."

"so papa can come over more often?" tsuna chirped.

"it's not fair, hogging papa from mama." ienobu supplied.

"i'll give iemitsu longer more holidays," he chuckled.

the twin's smiled cheerfully.

"papa, garden!" ienobu and tsuna gave the man a dazzling smile.

"okay, i never knew i was such a wanted man," iemitsu glanced at vongola nono before taking them to the garden.

meanwhile, vongola nono gave nana a warm smile as he followed the trio into the garden.

"you've raised them well," he complimented.

"no, no. they're always there for each other, helping and playing when im busy or when they force me to sleep." nana smiled bashfully.

"maybe because you're such a wonderful mother." vongola nono shifted his gaze landing on ienobu running to tsuna with a pink ball and sat nearby while nana went to cook food.

this is the day when he seals tsuna's flame, doesn't he? ienobu glanced at tsuna and abruptly cocked his head to the side where the ball whizzed right past.

"papa!" ienobu pouted in annoyance, "stop showing off! me and tsuna-nii are gonna be strong as you one day, you know!"

"sorry, sorry. i'll only use half my power, okay?"

"still showing off!" ienobu sulked, turning his head around to find the ball only to notice it was already in tsuna's hands and that nana called iemitsu and vongola nono to eat.

"sorry, my little babies, papa's gotta refuel." iemitsu hugged them and left complimenting the aroma.

when iemitsu and vongola nono left, a bark drew ienobu's attention and he glared at the chihuahua behind the fence.

"what're you barking at tsuna-nii for, stupid mutt?"

ienobu's glare dropped when he noticed tsuna's hands trembling and quickly tried to pull tsuna away but his brain almost stopped working when the chihuahua growled.

"hey!" ienobu snapped, a rousing urge to fling the dog to the far ends of the earth kindled his ferocity of which he glowered at the chihuahua.

"ie..." tsuna whispered quietly, "i'm scared."

"it's okay, it's just a small-" ienobu swore his brain crashed when the chihuahua jumped over, how could it jump so high?, and stood rigid, "leave tsuna-nii alone!"

urging tsuna inside, ienobu bolted to the dog, muffling a yelp of pain when the dog bit his arm.

"papa!" tsuna wailed, scrambling inside and tripped on the steps, with tears rolling down his face, "ie- he's- the dog!"

ienobu's breath hitched and tugged on the chihuahua's tail, ripping it away and fell onto the floor when the dog jumped onto him.

his arm felt like it was burning and shoved the dog off him, yanking it over the fence and scampered away like the dog when he realised tsuna was crying. his feet brought a few meters away from the older twin and stood frozen in place.

"tsuna-nii?" he stared at the warm, soft orange flame enveloping- no, originating from tsuna as he cried, "tsuna-nii!"

"ienobu!" iemitsu picked ienobu up and looked at tsuna, making sure the boy couldn't see.

"papa? why- why does tsuna-nii hav- is it going to hurt him?" ienobu tried to squirm out of his hold but the arms wouldn't budge.

of course, it will, ienobu thought, if it weren't for the sealing, tsuna wouldn't have to be bullied so much, his nickname No Good Tsuna wouldn't exist and Tsuna wouldn't have to wait a decade for what he could already a have.

"sawada ienobu," iemitsu called firmly, "it won't hurt Tsuna but you have to promise me you'll protect him."

ienobu paused, they know what they're doing to him, "why? i'm already protecting him. is- is going make tsuna-nii sick or something? papa?"

"no... he won't be sick... just..."

"different?" ienobu probed.

"he'll just be a little different." iemitsu answered quietly as he watched vongola nono put tsuna to sleep.

"tsuna-nii won't hate me, right?" ienobu whispered. what if tsuna blamed him for not stopping them? he didn't know what would happen, "i don't want tsuna-nii to hate me."

"tsuna won't hate you. you just need to promise me you'll protect him, okay? think of this as a secret mission just between me, you and grandpa."

"mn." ienobu curled and stared down at the grass.

a part of him felt like he caused this, if he just dealt with the chihuahua earlier then tsuna wouldn't be so scared.

"so, do you want to stay here or get yourself checked like a real man?" iemitsu ruffled

"but tsuna-nii... okay." ienobu murmured.

"_boss, could you put ie to sleep as well?_"

ienobu didn't know what iemitsu said about him but when he managed to see tsuna, he saw vongola nono do something with the same flame on his finger and his heart felt like it'd been crushed.

he couldn't breathe, couldn't think and a whimper of pain escaped his lips.

"papa- why does it hurt?" ienobu gasped for air and his sight blurred.

"what?" iemitsu exclaimed in confusion before alarm blared in his head.

"they've harmonised?" ienobu winced at vongola nono's exclamation, before shutting his eyes, struggling to maintain a clear head with the swarm of rejection and pain in his body.

"_it's okay iemitsu, at most it just means they don't__ won't__ be involved in the mafi__a and all the bloodshed."_


	2. target two

1\. i changed tsune's name from tsuneyuki to ienobu

* * *

ienobu muffled his whimpers, pressing his lips together trying to overcome the urge to cry and nestled deeper into iemitsu's hug.

he was scared, petrified even. it hadn't even been close to five minutes but he could feel it; the broken violin bow deep in his body, his legs refused to move and ienobu choked a sob. he was going to die again. just like last time.

"i-i'm scared-" ienobu cried, gripping iemitsu's shirt tighter as he blinked his flooding eyes, "i don't w-want to d-die, papa."

iemitsu rubbed ienobu's back, gently rocking back and forth as he glanced at vongola nono with his eyebrows frowning.

"ie-kun, you're safe. papa's here. papa won't let you die, okay, ie-kun?" iemitsu coaxed softly, his eyes narrowed in worry and fear.

"b-but," ienobu gasped and a sharp twinge of pain flared in his head; he couldn't breathe, "i can't b-breathe-"

"ie-kun!" iemitsu pulled ienobu up to look at the sky, "what do you see?"

ienobu snivelled, taking shaky breathes as he looked at the sky.

"sky."

"what colour is it?"

"b-blue."

"what else do you see?"

"c-clouds. white clouds."

"good. now describe the clouds and everything else you see." iemitsu spoke gently, his eyes never leaving ienobu's face.

"i see big, p-puffy white clouds, a-and green. um, green grass. long, thin and a pink round ball," ienobu paused as he took a moment to regulate his breathing, "a handsome papa. papa has uh, short blond and a tall, um muscular body. papa has pretty gold amber eyes like tsuna-nii and me. and a white shirt, uh, a smile!"

"that's our boy!" iemitsu concealed the anxiety in his voice and beamed a smile as he brought ienobu onto his shoulders.

ienobu's eyes twinkled as he felt iemitsu's strong hands keep him in place, his sturdy shoulders holding him up.

but... what he experienced now was a panic attack, wasn't it? ienobu berated himself inside, even after all the training he went through to keep his emotions in check, he had a panic attack. what would father say- no, it was okay. he was in a four-year-old body. it was okay.

ienobu closed his eyes and snapped them open again. the night on the day he died, he saw it again.

calming himself down, ienobu looked down at iemitsu's head of hair.

"papa..." he whispered. this man was his papa, dad, daddy, and father. that man... didn't deserve to be compared to the one he had now.

"hm? what does our little prince want?" iemitsu looked up with a goofy grin.

"can... you stay for a few days longer?..."

"of course! boss already agreed, didn't he?" iemitsu grinned at vongola nono who nodded as he carried tsuna inside, leaving the two alone.

"papa." ienobu called again, in a softer voice.

"c' mon! what else do you want? another hug? maybe a kiss from papa?"

"is... it normal to have strange dreams?" ienobu gradually whispered. iemitsu had vongola's hyper intuition, he needed to word his thoughts meticulously.

"what kind of strange dreams?"

"..." ienobu remained silent for a few moments, "i think they're memories."

"memories?"

"yeah... just... not my memories,"

was he doing the right thing? ienobu wasn't sure but he needed the man right now, he needed someone to talk to. the thought of experiencing the same thing again tore his mind. what if he had another panic when he was supposed to be protecting tsuna?

"not your memories?"

"i mean... they are my memories, just not mine... um... not the memories of... sawada ienobu."

"what do you mean?" ienobu missed how iemitsu's eyes sharpened.

"i... don't know but... i think i was another person before... before i was alive? like... this is my... second life?"

"second life?" iemitsu questioned quietly.

"mhmm... but... i-i- sometimes i don't know who i am... and tsuna- tsuna-nii, he stopped the dr- memories and stopped me from being scared."

"is that why... you were scared?"

"...one came to me just now..." ienobu murmured, seeing his bloodied hands for a split second, "...they never stopped unless i was with tsuna-nii because tsuna-nii was always warm."

"you're scared of seeing them again..." iemitsu mumbled.

"i... don't want to die again, papa." he whispered, "it was so scary when i died. the sky was so dark and my hands were so red. i couldn't move my legs, there was a stick in my tummy and there was just so much red."

"a stick in your tummy?"

"it was... a... thingy, the stick thingy you use to play with violins. it was broken, in my belly."

"ienobu, why are you scared of dying? because of the pain or because of something else?" iemitsu questioned sharply.

"... both," ienobu's voice was barely audible, "i'm scared of both."

"what's the 'something else'?"

"leaving everyone, tsuna-nii, papa and mama. i don't want to leave."

"but you want to protect everyone, don't you?"

"...mhmm, especially tsuna-nii."

"why especially tsuna? because he stopped the dreams?"

"no, it's because... i never had a brother before... and... anyone else... really..." ienobu opened his mouth before closing it, hesitating as the memories rushed back to him.

"...mother... was always... in her world... when father died. the only times she paid attention to me was when... i played the... violin because father loved the violin. father loved the violin more than mother and me. i... only devoted myself because i wanted mother to look at me... after father died."

"i got myself killed, papa." ienobu stated quietly, "wanting mother to just look at me, at who i am, how i was different to father, it got me killed."

"so who are you now? me and my wife's son or someone else's?"

"i... i'm more of... someone else's than me... right now?" ienobu furrowed his brows.

"would it help my son if you tell me everything?"

"i... think so."

"well, let's start with your name and age."

"amano ienobu... and i was thirty-one."

"thirty-one years old and same name..." iemitsu murmured as he lowered himself to sit on the grass.

"mentally, you're thirty-five years old?"

"thirty-four, thirty-five in two months."

"everything's coming back now that you have someone to speak to?"

"mhmm."

"do you know why tsuna's getting your memories?"

"i... don't know why i have my memories but in my... world there were records of children having memories of their past lives."

"your world? you're not from this world?"

"when i first came, i thought i was in an anime." ienobu pressed his lips together.

"anime? animation?"

"anime is a... style of japanese animation and television; fiction."

"fiction... so..."

"i loathe reading, watching or listening to anything fictional."

"loathe? why do you- oh..." iemitsu narrowed his eyes.

"we are the worst, aren't we? manipulating things for our entertainment and pleasure." ienobu let his eyelids droop. all those deaths, tragedy, just for the sake of satisfaction.

"do... you know what's going on? what's happened or going to happen?" iemitsu noticed his hand shaking.

"i didn't recall anything until grandpa... or vongola nono appeared. even then, i don't know if what i remember is much or a little."

"you know about the vongola?"

"tsuna-nii... tsuna hated his deadbeat father who rarely visited home, especially when he visited after... several years so suddenly," ienobu spoke as he glanced at the grass.

"which is why you requested nono to have me visit often..." iemitsu's voice quietened.

"tsuna becomes vongola decimo in every parallel world, maybe except this in one, i don't know yet because he may not be the only one option."

"they all died?"

"even after you did something so cruel to tsuna, yeah. what i remember the most is no-good tsuna."

"poor grades, wimpy attitude, bad luck, lack of athleticism, always doubting himself, quitting easily, and skipping or ditching classes. i hoped i could at least give him someone who he could turn to when it happened or at least avoid the sealing... but then he wouldn't have met all those amazing people he's meant to meet."

"tsuna..." iemitsu murmured.

"i remember his titled changed to neo vongola primo because his rejection to the title was finally accepted."

"neo vongola primo?" iemitsu repeated with surprise.

"mhmm. cool, right? my big brother's amazing!" ienobu beamed, "he'd rather destroy vongola than inherit its sins."

"papa, can i ask you something?"

"anything for my little ienobu," iemitsu's eyes softened.

"when... tsuna-nii's the only option left, and keep this a secret, okay? another secret mission, can... you give me a chance to inherit your position? i can also persuade tsuna to honour primo and return vongola to being a vigilante group, but only when tsuna-nii's the only option."

"are you sure?"

"i promised myself the moment i knew tsuna-nii was my brother, i'd protect him, papa."

iemitsu sighed.

"but make sure you come on time to mama's birthdays and wedding anniversaries or at least... call with a burner phone? but block the location thing."

"it's strange to know you're almost mentally thirty-four... because you might be reckless... but at least i know you want to keep us safe."

"it's in the blood, papa." ienobu grinned.

"Well then, food should be ready! you must hungry after all that, my baby lion." iemitsu laughed boisterously as he got up, striding to the door.

"that's called cub."

"baby lion and tuna fishy is better."

"okay, papa."

-/-

ienobu didn't want to move. he was exhausted. asking to use his brain to answer a ridiculous question way above his level while he was sleep-deprived was asking for death's invitation. damn, he wanted to whack nezu's brain into mush. the man was so annoying today.

"five." he murmured, resting his head on the table closing his eyes, "x is five you dipshirt."

"ienobu? wake up, we have p.e. now."

"p.e.? aren't we in maths?" ienobu lifted his head, blinking his tired eyes as he looked at the hand on his table, "oh, i got it, thanks, nii-san."

"no problem." tsuna smiled.

ienobu yawned, leaning back on his chair and cracked his back, stretching before pushing himself up. fixing the red band on his sleeve, he bent down and picked up his bag, swinging it over his shoulder.

"wait." tsuna stopped him and ienobu only looked on, confused until he felt tsuna's hands moving in his hair.

"there." tsuna beamed.

"thanks again, nii-san." ienobu's eyes twinkled as tsuna urged ienobu to follow him out the classroom.

following the brunette, ienobu rubbed his eyes with another yawn.

"nii-san, do you think sensei will let me sleep on the side?"

"all you do is sleep," tsuna smiled, "and you know the answer."

"you'll sub in for me which you won't because I," ienobu paused, " won't let you."

tsuna smile turned into a wry smile before hurrying ienobu to their next lesson.

"seriously?" ienobu murmured as he watched tsuna get picked by the opposite team.

his eyebrows furrowed, even more, when the basketball hit tsuna in his face and the loss of their team was pinned on tsuna.

"it's your fault we lost you know."

"you've faulty eyes if you believe you lost because of nii-san." ienobu snarked as he stormed over to the group of idiots and snatched the broomstick from a person's hand. he could never really remember their name because there were so many people like them.

"uh, we were just joking, right, no-good tsuna?" they laughed nervously and the one who he took the broomstick from swung his arm over tsuna's shoulders.

"y-"

"i wonder if i pummel you with the broom you'll take it as a joke," ienobu's eyes glinted.

"n-no, we're sorry!"

"to who?"

"w-we have after school practice so we can't help sawada-san clean bye!" the boy darted off with a squeak and they all followed after.

clenching the broomstick, ienobu stared in the direction they fled with a frown on his face.

"it's alright ienobu, they w-were right. i'm just an idiot and non-athletic." tsuna's shoulders drooped.

"that's because they don't really know you nii-san, they're just blind-"

"you know the reason someone useless like me is coming to school."tsuna looked out the window, soon smiling.

"but you aren't uselss nii-san." ienobu murmured. even after nine years of trying, he barely managed to change tsuna's character. barely, even if it was small, it was a change.

caught in his thoughts, ienobu only snapped out when tsuna dropped to the floor, clutching the broomstick.

"she's seeing the kendo club's captain. there's no reason for me to be at school n-"

"wait, nii-san, they aren't seeing each other. he's just trying to court her for popularity." ienobu interjected.

"eh? they aren't? wait, what? he's playing with kyoko-chan's feelings?"

"she doesn't like him nii-san. that idiot just sees her as an object." ienobu responded immediately. this was close to the day reborn was going to arrive if the heirs died. he wondered what change he actually caused as he saw tsuna sigh in relief.

"by the way nii-san, what would you do if i hadn't told you?" ienobu questioned curiously.

"erm, skip school?"

"and risk mama lecture you?" ienobu retorted.

"uh... yeah?"

ienobu raised an eyebrow and bent down to pull tsuna up.

"we should get going, nii-san."

"thanks."

-/-

"tsunayoshi." ienobu heard nana shout and peered over to tsuna, he still skipped, "i got a call from school."

today was definitely the day he would find if he and tsuna would be involved in the mafia.

"you came home in the middle of class again. what do you plan to do in the future?"

"i don't know..."

"i'm not saying you have to go to a good high school or college, you know," nana slammed the door open with a hand placed on her hips.

"don't barge into our room!" tsuna flinched at the door slamming.

"you can live your entire life bored like you are right now, or live it happily. I want you to live feeling, 'it's great to be alive!'"

"could you not say that in front of people, it's embarrassing."

"oh my..."

ienobu snorted at nana's reaction, muffling his laughter.

"tsu-kun, ie-kun,... a home tutor is coming today."

"home tutor!?" tsuna exclaimed while ienobu narrowed his eyes after stopping his laughter.

"there was an interesting flyer in the mailbox," nana smiled before reading out the contents, "will raise your kid to be the new leader of the next generation. grade and subject don't matter."

"isn't it great? i've never seen a promotion like this before." ienobu smiled at how nana beamed.

"it smells like a scam!"

"it's probably a tutor from a professional business school for young men. i've always wanted a teacher like this for you."

"don't create your own image of him!"

"they're probably experienced nii-san," ienobu supplied, "even if they don't actually turn you into a next-generation leader, maybe you've improved."

"ciaossu."

ienobu snapped his head down and his eyes landed on the small baby by tsuna's and nana's feet. his eyes fixed on the baby's orange pacifier hung on his neck, past the black fedora with its orange stripe and the lizard sat on the rim. glancing at the curly sideburns, ienobu blinked at Reborn's shiny shoes.

"i arrived three hours early but as a service, i'll evaluate you two now."

us two? ienobu sat up from his bed and studied the hitman.

"hey... whose kid are you?" nana asked worriedly.

"hm? i'm reborn, the home tutor."

"oh!"

"pfft!" tsuna burst into laughter, "i was wondering what kind of person-"

"nii-san!" ienobu exclaimed.

"-created that bullshit flyer. it's this baby?!"

"so you're tsuna."

ienobu pressed his lips together in worry, wondering if tsuna would even listen to him.

"im sorry but, there's nothing i can learn from you!"

ienobu flinched and got in front of reborn before tsuna finished his sentence.

reborn's eye glinted and hopped onto ienobu's head before launching a kick into tsuna's torso.

"oof-" tsuna fell to the floor before ienobu could catch him.

"you're ienobu." reborn looked at him.

ienobu nodded as he watched reborn and turned his gaze to tsuna.

"well, let's get started," reborn stated, "this is the room, right?"

"yes..." ienobu answered, taking a gander at tsuna's side of the room; it was all over the place.


	3. target three

ienobu carefully hauled tsuna onto his bed, turning his head towards the baby.

"reborn?..." he prodded, "the... leader of the next generation and you looking like a baby hitman... uh, why- no, why us?"

"you'll know when your brother wakes up."

"okay..." ienobu nodded, slowly sitting down the floor near reborn, facing him.

"what's you lizard called?" he peered curiously, his eyes meeting the lizard's.

"leon." reborn watched him intently.

"is he your... partner?" ienobu tried not to shudder.

"yes."

"do we have to feed it? should I get food supplies?"

"no."

"that's good," ienobu relaxed his shoulders and moved closer to reborn, turning to tsuna, watching the brunette.

"reborn, even if nii-san barely improves," ienobu shifted his gaze to reborn, "it'll mean the world to me."

"nii-san... always has a wimpy attitude i haven't been able to change, or barely, throughout the past years," he spoke quietly, remembering tsuna before his flames were sealed, and a small smile graced his face, "he doubts himself all the time and quits easily."

"i can't bear to be so... demanding... to put him through stuff like that even though it's the only way... to be that inhumane... i don't know."

reborn quietly listened... and a bubble started to blow from his nose.

ienobu blinked in surprise and sighed.

"why'd you fall asleep on the floor?" he murmured, carrying reborn to his bed and tucking him in.

stretching, sighed and started to clean tsuna's side of the room, carefully moving objects so he wouldn't produce much noise.

"what was that?" ienobu looked up to see tsuna sat up.

"a kick to your torso?" he answered as he shifted his sight to reborn.

following his line of sight, tsuna got out of bed and went up to reborn.

"hey, wake up! i won't forgive you just because you're a baby!"

ienobu snickered, like reborn needed forgiving.

"huh?" tsuna looked at him.

"owww! what is this kid!" tsuna yelped when reborn flipped tsuna using his tie.

"i have no openings. my true line of work is assassination," reborn revealed a suitcase what started unpacking as he connected pieces to form sniper in his hands.

"my real job is to make you both mafia bosses."

"what!? a mafia boss?" tsuna exclaimed.

"i was assigned by a certain man to train you to become an astounding mafia boss."

"hellooo, is your head okay?" tsuna stared at the baby with a dead gaze.

"the method is left up to me. should i shoot you once?" reborn aimed the nozzle at tsuna.

"wha! hey!"

"what about me?" ienobu looked away from the sniper in reborn's hand. it was a gun, a sniper.

"this is the mafia, right? isn't it supposed to just nii-san? he's the older twin."

"you'll be the leader of the external advisor to the family. because it is separate yet part of the main family, it will make you ineligible to be a candidate for the position of boss."

"what if nii-dies when i'm the head? do i give up my position?"

"what do you mean if i die?! i'm not dying and why does ie have to be involved in the mafia?" tsuna questioned.

"because you need him and the master of the external advisor specifically chose him. now that you have accepted your position, later." reborn turned around as his stomach rumbled to leave.

"hey!" tsuna called out.

"what a guy... well... there shouldn't be a next time..."

"i don't think so..." ienobu rubbed his nose, "the contract stated that he's going to live here until your grades go up."

"you've gotta be kidding! i'm going to eat out." tsuna scampered out the room.

"nii-san!" ienobu called out.

"yes?"

"can you get me takoyaki?!"

"got it!"

"thanks!"

-/-

"why are you following me!? don't you have to go to grade school!?" tsuna interrogated reborn with frustration.

"assassins don't go to grade school."

"quit the assassin act already!" he chided before stopping and darted behind a wall, a blush brushing his face.

"awwwww, how cute."

"ciaossu." reborn greeted kyoko.

"why are you wearing a suit?"

"because i'm in the mafia."

"waaa, how cool!"

why can't ie be here with him? she already likes reborn. tsuna watched from behind, clenching a fist.

"well, good luck. bye-bye." kyoko waved as she began to walk away.

"ciao ciao," reborn waved back before turning to tsuna, "mafia seduction."

"what?!" tsuna exclaimed.

"you have a crush on that girl, don't you tsuna?"

"you don't need to interfere!"

"i've mastered the art of mind-reading."

"that's enough. just leave me and ie alone!"

"no," reborn twisted tsuna's wrist behind his back.

"ow, ow, ow! i give! i give!" tsuna cried.

tsuna rubbed his shoulder with tears in his eyes; he couldn't even win against a baby.

"have you told her yet?" reborn asked.

"i-i'm- it's not the right time!" tsuna stammered, another blush creeping his cheeks.

"sasagawa kyoko is our school idol, i'm not even in her league."

"but it's not the right time?" reborn questioned.

"even... if it's useless to confess my feelings... ie said it means i'm braver than anyone else who hasn't confessed," tsuna smiled softly, "but i don't know if i even will. i'm no good tsuna."

"that loser complex is amazing."

"leave me alone."

"it's finally time," reborn stated.

"huh?"

"die."

"huh!?" tsuna flinched at the pistol aimed at his head.

"a toy, right?"

"go die once."

"hey..." tsuna grit his teeth, "stop mocking adults already! i don't even see the point in me getting killed!"

"you'll know when you die." reborn pressed the trigger.

while dying, tsuna regretted; he should have told her how he felt with a dying will.

"reborn!" he yelled, his clothes ripping as he stood up, only wearing his boxer shorts.

"i'm going to tell sasagawa kyoko how i feel with my dying will!" tsuna declared with his fists clenched, an orange fire f#dancing fiercely on his forehead.

"why am i naked?" tsuna questioned himself a moment later, "well, it doesn't matter! where's sasagawa kyoko?!

"it's dying will time." reborn commented, watching tsuna dash down the street.

kicking a senior out of the way, tsuna found kyoko.

"sasagawa kyoko! please go out with me!"

"kyoko!" the senior yelled when she fled with a scream.

"you bastard!" the senior punched tsuna's chin, sending him up in the air.

"you've gotta be a kidding me! you pervert!" he yelled as he ran after kyoko.

tsuna's face paled, he confessed his feelings and now everyone would know how he confessed them.

"the dying will time lasts five minutes. after five minutes, you revert back to normal." reborn explained.

"a... a bullet! so i was shot in the head after all!"

"yes."

"w-wait! i can't walk the streets anymore! and i can't confront sasagawa kyoko! why couldn't you just wait instead of destroying my image like that?! i'll be called a pervert at this rate!"

"this bullet is the dying will bullet," reborn held up the bullet in his hand, "a person that is hot with this bullet will resurrect with a dying will after dying."

"what?"

"your dying will is based on what you are regretting when you die."

"what... what if i wasn't regretting anything?..." tsuna asked nervously.

"hm? i'm an assassin."

"i would've died?!" he shrieked.

"nii-san!"

tsuna squeaked.

"nii-san! why're you na- reborn?" ienobu huffed before pausing when his eyes landed on reborn.

hurriedly giving tsuna his gakuguran top, ienobu bent down to speak with reborn.

"explain when we get home." he picked up reborn, placing him on his shoulder and took tsuna to where he placed his bike.

having tsuna sit on the frame, ienobu glanced at reborn as he cycled back to their house, noting how the hitman remained silent.

"tsuna was hit by the dying will bullet," reborn hopped off ienobu's shoulder when they got into their room.

"dying will means your body is in a state wherein all safety switches are off," ienobu sat down next to tsuna as reborn clarified the dying will bullet, "so in exchange for risking your life by breaking your limits you can harness amazing strengths."

"that's potential strength!" tsuna exclaimed, "but i don't get it. i've never even heard of a dying will bullet."

"the dying will bullet is a speciality passed through the vongola family."

"is this related to tsuna confessing to kyoko while almost naked?" ienobu interjected.

"everyone knows?!"

"mochida told me but don't worry, i've already dealt with it. nii-san was mugged on the way to school, so while he feared for his life, he decided to confess his love for kyoko."

"when did you- how?" tsuna stared at ienobu in shock.

"i've got my ways, nii-san."

"oh yeah, the disciplinary committee," tsuna nodded in understanding, "but, whats the vongola family?"

"i was assigned by the vongola family's ninth-generation boss to come to japan and raise you to become a mafia boss," ienobu perked his ears, "vongola the ninth is getting old and he was planning on passing the boss status to the tenth generation."

"but the most qualified of the tenth generation, Enrico, was shot in a feud," reborn showed s picture, "the young number two, matsumo, was drowned-"

"why'd you have a picture of him while he was drowning?" ienobu questioned.

"the favourite child, federico, was found reduced to bone." reborn ignored him, "so the only candidate let to be tenth is you and ienobu but ienobu will be ineligible once he inherits his title."

"what?! why is it like that?!"

"the vongola family's first boss retired early and crossed over to japan," reborn revealed a family treemap, " that is your great-great-great-grandfather so you are both part of the vongola bloodline and legitimate boss candidates."

"what are you talking about? i've never heard about this?"

ienobu remained silent as he studied the family tree.

"don't worry. i'll make you into a fine boss." reborn consoled as he switched his outfit into his sleepwear.

"what was vongola when it was founded?" ienobu spoke before tsuna.

"a vigilante group," reborn watched ienobu who pressed his lips together in thought.

"a vigilante-turned mafia organisation after he retired?"

"yes."

"nii-san... if it's like this..." ienobu turned to tsuna, "you could return vongola into a vigilante group to honour our great-great-great-grandfather if it helps. that way you won't be a mafia boss, right? it's a legitimate reason they can accept, right reborn?"

"yes."

"b-but... turning a mafia group back into a vigilante group..."

"it's a start if it helps you feel better, nii-san."

reborn smiled discreetly.

"who's the current title... who currently possesses the title i'm supposed to inherit, reborn?"

"iemitsu." reborn revealed.

"dad?!" tsuna exclaimed, "dad's in the mafia?!"

"is he allowed to visit his family?" ienobu questioned before tsuna could ramble.

"no."

"...oh." ienobu pressed his lips together before smiling, "so we're lucky, aren't we nii-san?"

"uh- yeah. we are... i guess..." tsuna murmured before a smile bigger than ienobu's blossomed on his face, "yeah, we're super lucky!"

"i'm going to sleep," reborn announced, "be careful."

"if you interrupt my sleep, you'll die," he warned.

"don't set up traps in the house!" tsuna yelled, "and don't sleep in ie's bed!"

"it's okay, nii-san," ienobu moved his eyes away from the grenades, "we're probably going to be stressed to death."

"...yeah... wait you're stressed?!" tsuna cried out.

"...yeah, who knows what reborn's gonna do to increase your... grades? i mean, grenades, what if he'll blow the house up if you get a wrong answer."

"and you sleep through every class barely passing!" tsuna covered his face in worry.

"i can't help it!" ienobu defended himself, "you know how much sleep i need."

"...yeah." tsuna sighed, "do you think he knows... about that?"

"we sleep together like when we were babies whenever one of us is stressed?"

"yeah."

"no, probably likes my bed better." ienobu felt a smile creeping up his face. ever since he told iemitsu, he checked if his connection with tsuna was also a factor to stopping the memories coming back up.

although he did see the memories and visions now and again, tsuna without his flames still helped.

-/-

ienobu peeked into the meeting room through the crack of the door, seeing hibari sat in his chair with a small stack of paperwork on one side.

"kyoya?" he called out, pushing the handle and stepped inside.

"hm?" hibari glanced up before resuming his work.

"thanks for yesterday."

"you promised a fight," hibari responded.

"in a while, i have to check up on nii-san first," ienobu smiled, "and pay attention to the baby that follows us around, he's one of the strongest. i'll see if i can get him to spar you after ours. see you later, kyoya."

"see you." hibari watched ienobu leave before dipping his head down and continueing his work.

ienobu shut the door quietly and rushed to their classroom, spotting a crowd of members of the kendo club outside the door.

"here comes pantsman!

"confession of love!"

"lovestruck tsuna!"

ienobu snorted at the last comment, his shoulders trembled as hse pushed past the crowd into the classroom.

"nii-san," ienobo laughed, "lovestruck nii-san!"

"ie!" tsuna cried in embarrassment before scampering behind ienobu who took tsuna out the classroom.

"whoah, you can't go home yet." ienobu looked behind him and furrowed his brows.

"captain mochida is waiting for you in the dojo?"

"you want nii-san to fight that egocentric dipshit because he hallucinated kyoko crying?" ienobu spat, "an idiot drunk on popularity only wants more. he's just can't handle how nii-san's better than him."

"ie! what are you saying?!" tsuna shrieked when they frowned at ienobu.

"what? let's bet that he bets kyoko as the prize. if i win, you all listen to me, if he doesn't then i'll let you guys skip three days."

"eh? seriously? but-"

ienobu glared at him.

"y-yes! uh, off to the dojo," they dragged tsuna, scurrying away leaving ienobu scratching his head.

"that jerk's gonna cheat somehow and i'll be damned if he doesn't see you as an object, kyoko. if anything i can make the battle fair for nii-san." ienobu explained seeing hana eye him.

"let's go and watch." hana urged ienobu.

"oh, yeah. let's go."

-/-

"there you are, you pervert stalker!" mochida growled, "god may forgive a piece of shit like you, but i won't! i sha-"

"like nii-san needs forgiveness from a loser like you." ienobu mocked.

"you-"

"stop shitting from your mouth, coconut head."

"ie! stop!"

"don't worry," mochida glared at ienobu before turning to tsuna, "it's an easy duel that even an idiot like you can understand."

"you're a novice at kendo. so if you can get a point off me, then you win! if you can't, then I win!"

"the prize is, of course, sasagawa kyoko!" he declared, pointing his shinai in his direction.

"i win the bet!" ienobu cheered, "no cheating or i'll whack your brains into mush!"

"of course there won't be any cheating." mochida answered smugly, hiding the glint in his eyes.

he was more experienced than tsuna, the armour and shinai has enough weight that two people can barely carry it. the judge was supposedly also one of his members.

ienobu glanced over to tsuna to find him gone and turned to mochida.

"tsuna forgot his bag, he'll come back soon, don't worry." ienobu smiled, hiding the worry in his eyes.

waiting, ienobu glanced at hana and smiled wryly.

snapping his head back, ienobu froze when tsuna darted past him roaring with the dying will flame on his forehead.

"hahaha! only an idiot would run in naked!" mochida roared with laughter.

"do you think i'd hold back?! eat this! you peon!" he stuck tsuna's head only to exclaim in surprise when tsuna destroyed the shinai with his head, in the process headbutting mochida.

"hmph!" tsuna jumped and sat on mochida lifting his hand up in the air as if he were to chop.

ienobu watched dumbly as tsuna ripped off a handful of mochida's hair.

"i got one hundred off!"

"that's smart, tsuna!"

"he never specified what you had to get a point off of." the crowed bellowed with laughter.

"how's this?!" tsuna showed the referee who lifted the flag.

"the flag... was raised..." hana murmured.

"that's my nii-san!" ienobu chortled as the dying will flame vanished from tsuna's forehead.

"amazing! he actually won!"

"it was crazy but you looked great."

"what a guy."

"it felt good to watch."

"i have a newfound respect."

why were they shaking him like that? ienobu pushed them away and took tsuna near kyoko while he was dazed.

"tsuna-kun." kyoko called out, snapping tsuna out of his thoughts.

"i'm sorry for getting scared and running away yesterday." she apologized while tsuna stammered.

"my friends tell me a lot that i don't know when to laugh."

"she thinks it was a joke?" ienobu muttered, turning to hana.

"that's how she is," hana replied.

"you are incredible," kyoko beamed, "like, you're not some average guy."

tsuna didn't answer in embarrassment and ienobu missed the happy smile on tsuna's face when he grinned at tsuna.

-/-

"i did it, reborn!" tsuna announced as soon as he entered his bedroom, "i became friends with kyoko-chan!"

"huh?" he looked around the room for reborn, "oh!"

"you're here." tsuna found reborn sleeping, "hey, reborn!"

and he tripped over the trap.

"ugyaah!" he screamed as his room exploded.

"the fuck?" ienobu stared wide-eyed from outside the house, cuts and bruises scattered across his face and his uniform crumped with clumps of dirt.


	4. target four

"the mafia boss, a leader who rules a criminal organisation, able to move a number of trusted members with one hand, willing to risk even his life for the family, surrounded by the respect and admiration of all, seen as a hero by the children of the slums..." ienobu readout with his eyebrows furrowed.

"oh, is that right?" reborn questioned, pointing his pistol at ienobu's head, from the swivel chair he was stood on.

"no because nii-san is different?" ienobu answered meekly.

"as if i'll become a mafia boss!" tsuna retorted, "and you're the one forcing us to read it!"

"read it every morning," reborn pointed his pistol at tsuna, "because you're the guy who will become the tenth generation boss."

"haven't i been saying no!? there's no way i'm going to be a mafia boss!" tsuna shrieked.

"because nii-san will revert the vongola to a vigilante group." ienobu added.

"hieee!"

"don't worry. i'll take care of it on my own," reborn climbed down the chair going to his stash of weapons.

"i'm very, very worried!"

"reborn, does anyone else know about nii-san and me being candidates?" ienobu questioned cautiously.

"at the moment, no."

"at the moment?!" tsuna huddled to ienobu in fear, "doesn't that mean people will be after us if they know?!"

"like i said, i'll take care of it on my own."

"but i don't want to be part of the mafia!"

"nii-san, we've been connected ever since we were born. as long as the vongola gets reverted, it isn't a mafia organisation. that's the only problem you have, right? plus you've become more confident in yourself than before ever since reborn arrived, you know?" ienobu's eyes twinkled as he smiled.

"r-really?" tsuna turned to ienobu.

"mhmm, it makes me happy, nii-san."

"eh- oh, um, we're gonna be late for school, let's go!" tsuna scurried out the room, leaving ienobu and reborn.

"did- did i miss something?" ienobu cocked his head to reborn only to see the arcobaleno tilt his fedora down, concealing his smile not uttering a single word.

"i'll get going?" ienobu scratched the back of his head in confusion before getting up. picking up reborn, he left the room, afraid of the silence.

"nii-san, i have another meeting with kyoya so i'll be off," ienobu informed as he switched his slippers into his shoes, hopping to the door to leave the house, "don't hurt yourself!"

"see you later!" tsuna yelled back, jerking forward when reborn jumped onto his head.

"reborn!"

"i understand why you want to make him proud." reborn's eyes shone as he spoke in his squeaky voice.

"w-wha?!" tsuna flailed his arms in embarrassment before settling down as he scratched his cheek, "of course i do."

reborn didn't answer and watched tsuna as he hurried to leave the house.

meanwhile, ienobu was hissing in pain.

swinging his head backwards, ienobu bent his knees and kicked his foot upwards, a cloud of dirt trailing behind as he dodged the metal tonfa whizzing past his face, splitting the air.

feeling contact, ienobu planted his hands onto the ground and forced his body up, tucking both his knees to his chest and darting far behind hibari once his feet touched the ground.

twisting his head behind him, ienobu continued dodging the slicing weapons, parrying the attacks only when he was backed into a corner.

"omnivore," hibari growled.

"fine!" ienobu pressed his lips together and flit to hibari, spreading out his fingers, sticking out his palm and struck hibari's nose.

"sss-" ienobu jerked back, the tonfa grazing his cheek and tensing his calves, he pulled his upper body back straight, headbutting the raven-haired teen at the same time stomping on his ankle.

"you told me to!" ienobu cried when he saw hibari glare at him, "and i have to get back to nii-san, kyoya!"

"go." hibari stood straight, wiping his nose with his sleeve and ienobu sprinted away.

"shit, shit, shiiiit reborn's gonna kill me!" ienobu muttered, patting his uniform and entered the school's stadium where he spotted reborn watching from the balcony, his sniper in hand.

snapping his head to tsuna, ienobu froze when he saw the blood pouring out from the two bullet holes in his legs.

"nothing happened?" ienobu mumbled, rushing as close he could from the sides to see what happened, "but there're definitely holes in his trousers."

"the fuck?" ienobu's eyes widened when he saw tsuna jump above the net. what if he doesn't land properly and breaks a bone? maybe a few?

"nii-san!" ienobu cried out when the ball hit tsuna's crotch.

"ie?!" tsuna exclaimed when he turned his head to ienobu.

"look out!" ienobu cried again before turning his head to reborn to see him wearing a small smile as if everything would be alright.

alright? ienobu paused, calming himself down. the anime and manga never mentioned anything and tsuna seemed fine... so tsuna should be okay. ienobu sighed in relief and noted to ask what happened as he watched the match.

-/-

"jump bullet?!" the twins exclaimed as they sat under a tree shade.

"the dying will bullet is just the special effect of the vongola family's bullet when it hits your brain," reborn made clear, "the name and effect of this special bullet changes depending on the part of the body that it hits."

"when hit at the quadriceps, it's the jump bullet."

"so that means there are other effects too?" tsuna asked fervently.

"yeah. there are as many effects as body part names."

"what! that hands and knees and such are all different!?

"that's right."

"a-amazing!"

"more like a hassle." ienobu blurted.

"eh? what do you mean?" tsuna furrowed his eyebrows in confusement, why would ienobu think that?

"we're lucky it's reborn whose shooting them, nii-san," the blonde elaborated.

"ah, that makes sense... but why were you hiding such an amazing thing?" tsuna questioned reborn, "you only told me about the dying will bullet."

"it seemed like you would depend on the bullet, so i didn't say anything."

"but nii-san didn't depend on the bullet today, right?" ienobu wore a delighted expression.

"...reborn." tsuna felt bashful.

"but that's not the real reason."

"you'll get rusty if you don't shoot?" ienobu raised an eyebrow.

"i can shoot a lot now." reborn confirmed.

"you look ridiculously happy." ienobu spoke tsuna's thoughts, smiling.

"do i?" reborn met ienobu's gaze.

"m-maybe?"

reborn cocked his gun.

"so, uh, how was school while i was in my meeting?" ienobu turned to tsuna.

"we had a transfer student from italy, his name is gokudera hayato. i don't know why but he hates me," tsuna answered, "he kicked my desk as soon as he came in."

"he did what?" ienobo narrowed his eyes. he wasn't supposed to come this early, not before tsuna's volleyball match if he remembered correctly.

"in the afternoon i played for the volleyball team because they were suddenly short on members."

no, they- they asked tsuna because of how he k.o'ed mochida, didn't they? wasn't he in the manga version? ienobu believed he was definitely in the manga version.

"so, the, uh, reserve for the reserve for the reserve, me, got to play," tsuna recalled.

"wait, why?" ienobu questioned incredulously.

"reborn poisoned their pizzas so they couldn't play a-and gokudera-san knows about me being the candidate for the tenth-generation boss!"

"what do i do?!" tsuna asked ienobu, "he wants me to fight him at the back behind the school!"

"i could interfere if you're losing," ienobu answered, "or... to stop potential damage to school property."

"can't you just come at the beginning?"

"nii-san, i'd rather have you beat him since he's mafia. plus if you do beat him, he can protect you if any more come, right?"

"but how am i supposed to beat him?! i don't fight hibari-san every day!" tsuna panicked.

"we have reborn: the world's strongest hitman. you won't let nii-san die until he becomes as powerful as a mafia boss right?" ienobu questioned reborn, noting how reborn's eyes flashed when he heard tsuna mention hibari. ugh, he was in for more pain, wasn't he?

"it doesn't mean he'll be exempt from life and death situations."

"what?!" tsuna gawked, "life and death?"

"which is why it's better if you make the guy your protector or friend. if you beat him or save his life, that kind of thing."

"how?!"

"with reborn. you have me in case things get out of hand, nii-san. it'll be fine." ienobu coaxed.

"okay... let's get this over and done with!" tsuna announced, helping ienobu up before leading them to the back of the school.

ienobu kept glancing at tsuna before pausing with a scowl on his face when the seniors tsuna bumped into wouldn't let him go.

"oi!" he really despised the three ghetto idiots.

"it's just some little p-"

"i'll break your bone so you can get compensation from me instead of nii-san? how does your skull sound? great?" ienobu snarked as he pushed tsuna ahead of them so he could hurry.

"wha!"

"scram outta my way and fix your uniform before kyoya sees you." ienobu added quickly before slipping past the trio scurrying to tsuna.

"if a pinprick like you becomes the tenth gen, the vongola family is finished," the silver-haired teen deducted as ienobu hid near reborn, studying the teen.

"i refuse to accept it," he snarled, turning his head back as he bit his cigarette, staring fiercely at tsuna, "i'm the one who's fit to be the tenth!"

"i don't even want the position!" tsuna cried.

"i've been watching you since the volleyball tournament, but it's a waste of time to further evaluate a weakling like you-"

ienobu clenched his fists behind the classroom wall, even though he knew what it was, he despised how the teen thrashed tsuna like that. he didn't know what the brunette went through after his flame was sealed, he didn't know how much pain tsuna went through with the lack of his flame; he didn't know that compared to xanxus whoever the fuck he was- he couldn't remember properly- xanxus was shown mercy.

"you're a nuisance." gokudera declared, "die right here."

ienobu shut his eyes, trying to retrieve his bloodlust as he felt reborn jump onto his shoulder.

"i won't interfere," he whispered to reborn before the baby jumped, gritting his teeth at tsuna's cries when gokudera threw his dynamites at him.

the two gunshots that followed calmed ienobu down as he opened his eyes to watch again.

"reborn!" tsuna exclaimed in relief.

"you came earlier than expected, gokudera hayato."

"you called him over from italy?!"

"it's my first time meeting his as well, though." reborn confessed.

"so you're the ninth's highly trusted hitman," gokudera looked at the baby, "reborn."

"you're not kidding about becoming a candidate as the successor if i kill sawada right?"

"what?" tsuna's eyed widened in fear, "what about ie-"

"yeah that's right," reborn interrupted, "well, let's continue the killing."

"hey! wait!" tsuna panicked, "killing me?! you're joking right? ie-"

"i'm serious." reborn answered.

tsuna stared at reborn wordless, disbelief clouding his eyes before he realised reborn stopped anything about ienobu being revealed. they don't know about him... and he was going to become his external advisor so... he wasn't going to die!

but... reborn said he was serious...

"you're betraying me? reborn! you mean everything until now was a lie?!" tsuna accused realising ienobu wasn't in sight. did he get into a fight with the ghetto seniors?

"that's wrong," reborn snapped tsuna out of his thoughts, "i'm telling you to fight."

"wha!? fi.. fight? he's got dynamite!" tsuna screeched, " you've got to be kidding! to fight with dynamite!"

"wait."gokudera appeared in front of tsuna before he could flee.

ienobu's eyes widened when he saw all the cigarettes in gokudera's mouth.

"lung...cancer..." he murmured in a daze, "how is he not scared of all that shit?"

"what!?" tsuna cried at the sight of all the bombs in his hands.

"it's said that gokudera hayato is a human explosive device that conceals dynamite all over his body," reborn described, "his other name is smokin' bomb hayato."

"that's even worse!" tsuna dashed away from the armed teen, "you've got to be kidding!"

"hyaaaa!" the impact of the explosions behind him brought him to a dead end.

ienobu snuck out the classroom to the exit near tsuna just in time to see tsuna shot with the dying will bullet.

his jaw dropped when he heard the brunette's dying will.

"Reborn! I'll protect ie-kun with my dying will!" tsuna roared.

ienobu stood watching how tsuna defused the bombs with his bare hands as the silver-haired teen increased the output of dynamites, slowly plopping onto the floor with a dumbstruck expression.

"tripled bomb!" he declared, as he struggled to hold them all. as one fell, all the others followed and surrounded him.

"shit."

ienobu broke out of his reverie and his heart almost shattered when he met reborn's dark gleaming eyes.

"i was mistaken!" ienobu snapped his gaze to the teen on the floor, "you're the one who's fit to be the boss!"

"tenth! i'll follow you!" gokudera declared with admiration pooling in his eyes, "command me to do anything!"

"wah!?"

"having the loser serve under the winner is a family rule."

"ehh?! ie-kun was right?!"

"actually, i didn't really have ambitions to become the tenth," gokudera confessed, "it's just that i heard that the tenth is a japanese guy the same age as me, i felt i had to test his strength."

"but you're much more than i expected! for putting yourself on-"

"nii-san!" ienobu called out, anxiety flooding his face as he approached the brunette, "nii-san!"

"ie-kun!" tsuna flinched in surprise.

"nii-san?" gokudera contemplated, "tenth, do you want me d-"

"nii-san i'm sorry, i told reborn i wouldn't interfere once i saw the dynamites." ienobu lowered his head, speaking in a quiet voice, "i lied to you."

"eh? no! y-you didn't know- you heard me when reborn shot me with the dying will bullet?! tsuna shrieked.

"ah-" ienobu stammered, "y-yeah? i-i'm really happy... but i'm still going to protect you whether you l-like it or not-"

"ow! reborn!" ienobu cried in pain.

"quit the stammering, you brother-con." reborn smiled.

"tenth has a brother?" gokudera exclaimed.

"yeah, you got a problem with nii-san being my nii-san?" ienobu snorted, "you better not cause nii-san any trouble or fail to protect him because i'll thrash you to hell."

"yes!" gokudera nodded seriously, "i'll protect tenth with my life."

"but before that," ienobu furrowed his brows, "you have to learn to protect yourself. i'm not having nii-san endanger his life because you can't protect yourself. to protect someone, you must be able to protect yourself."

gokudera's eyes gleamed with admiration and realisation, "tenth's broth-"

"don't call nii-san tenth." ienobu interrupted.

"you just called me decimo." tsuna followed.

"nii-san. anyway, nii-san would rather have you call him by his name. tsuna-sama."

"but tenth!" gokudera turned to tsuna.

"nii-san is right, gokudera-kun, though tsuna would be better."

"but he can't handle that because he become your subordinate because of your strength so tsuna-same should be right, right?" ienobu shifted his gaze to the silver-haired teen.

"absolutely not! i can call ten- tsuna... -sama." gokudera scowled frustratedly, "i'm sorry, tent- tsuna-sama..."

"eh- no, it's great!" tsuna laughed nervously.

"oh no no, these guys are skipping class-"

"you want death you little shits?" ienobu snarled at the ghetto seniors, "your baseball bat drilled into your skull?"

"gokudera!" he snapped, "c'mon."

"leave it to me." gokudera answered, readying his dynamites, "i'll get rid of them, tsuna-sama."

"hold! wait, ie-kun, gokudera-kun! don't use dynamites!" tsuna cried.


End file.
